Ginger, turmeric, and lemon are no doubt three of the most popular healing, natural foods today regardless that they’ve been around for longer than any of us have! One reason they are so incredible is because each of them come with an array of benefits that can be used in multiple ways to benefit the brain and body. They’re also easy to access at any supermarket and many are more affordable and effective than the most pricey health products out there for the conditions they promise to alleviate.
For example, turmeric is a great anti-inflammatory aid that may work better than many over the counter drugs and certainly doesn’t come with the negative effects on the liver and heart that some chemical-based options do. And this is just one example, but there are so many more! Lemons come with tons of benefits for all parts of your body as does ginger, and turmeric even has more up its sleeve than just inflammation-busting properties.
So, let’s look at how these three incredible foods can be used to care for the body naturally and learn to implement them more often.
Ginger
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Benefits:
Anti-inflammatory, digestive aid, metabolism booster, stress-reliever, contains grounding properties to balance energy levels, acts as an antioxidant, promotes healthy blood pressure and blood sugar levels, warms the body up in cold temperatures
Uses:
Grate whole ginger root into tea, into stir-fry dishes, add it to a smoothie, juice with it, steep it with lemon and add a dash of cayenne to make a morning digestive and energy tonic. You can also use ground ginger in healthy baking recipes, in smoothies, sprinkled onto entrees, or mixed into hot tea. Ginger is delicious in curries; give this Red Lentil Curry With Black Tahini and Roasted Cashews a try!
Tips:
You should buy organic ginger when possible since the outside peel is highly permeable to chemicals and toxins from nonorganic produce. You might prefer to use it if you peel it before use (some individuals do and some don’t). Be sure to keep whole ginger root in your crisper drawer well wrapped in the produce bags at the store to optimize shelf life. They will last much longer this way and hold their moisture much better.
Try using fresh and dried ginger to see which varieties you like the most and use whichever suits your schedule and lifestyle needs/preferences best. Fresh is more potent but dried is still a good option! Here are 10 ginger recipes to get you started!
Turmeric
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Benefits:
Antioxidant, cancer prevention, digestive aid, metabolism booster, skin enhancer, mood balancing effects, grounding properties, can help warm the body up in the winter, adds flavor to meals, can curb sugar cravings, heals wounds and skin issues
Uses:
Much like ginger, turmeric can be added to any dish. The whole root is very, very strong, so if you use that form be sure that you use a small amount and adjust to your taste desires. You can juice with the whole root, grate it into dishes, and some like to add it to smoothies and grate it into savory baking dishes like muffins and breads. Or, use the powder in curries, stir-fries, smoothies, hot tea, or however else you like. Why not try this fresh turmeric tea as a great place to start?
Tips:
Like ginger, it’s best to buy organic turmeric whenever possible since the peel is highly permeable to chemical and toxin exposure. It can be a little expensive, but since a little goes a long way, you won’t need to much to get the benefits you’re looking for. If you’re using it on your skin to heal a wound, you will need a considerably higher amount, or you can use the ground turmeric if bought from a high quality brand. Like ginger, fresh turmeric root will keep longest (up to 3 weeks) in a crisper drawer in the fridge in the produce bags you buy it in at the store. Resist the urge to leave it out on the counter as it will dry out. It needs an incubated place in the fridge to last longest and will hold its moisture and flavor best here.
Lemons
Benefits:
digestive tonic, mood balancing effects, vitamin C source, detoxification aid, stimulates bile flow in the liver, aids in healthy blood flow, can be used on the skin as a natural toner to cleanse of excess oils, can be used in place of unhealthy hair dyes to brighten up hair color when applied before time out in the sun, can be used on top of salads instead of unhealthy dressings to aid health and cleansing, relieves inflammation and pain, reduces sugar cravings naturally, balances blood pressure and blood sugar levels
Uses:
Squeeze this amazing fruit into and onto anything you can! It’s great to enhance the taste of sweet fruits in a smoothie or to bring out the natural sweetness in cocoa in a smoothie. It can also stimulate digestion and enhance the absorption of iron in the body, so add it anywhere you eat your greens! Lemons can also be used to make a healthy salad dressing; combine with a little flax or olive oil (or cashews and almonds blended) with some parsley, sea salt, black pepper and apple cider vinegar. Instead of plain lemon water in the morning, also try adding it to a little shot of apple cider vinegar and cayenne for a total body tonic first thing in the day. Use lemons in any dish to brighten up the flavor, or try squeezing it on top of cooked veggies to add a natural sweetness and to enhance their color after cooking.
It’s also great to preserve your food in place of excess salt, so if you have some leftovers, add a little lemon; the natural citric acid they contain is a much better option than excess sodium and refined citric acid found in most processed foods (which is often derived from unhealthy yeasts). You can also juice with lemons and they’re fantastic paired with ginger, romaine, cucumber, and parsley to add sweetness and digestive benefits.
These are just a handful of ways to use these amazing foods. Opting for natural, simple foods like these three is a great way to improve your health without really changing much at all because it eliminates unhealthy options by replacing them with something easier, more natural and much healthier for your brain and body.
Do you use these healthy foods for their healing benefits? What’s your favorite way to do so?
Lead Image Source: SVshot/Shutterstock
